The present subject matter relates generally to agricultural machinery tires. In particular, the subject matter relates to a new type of warning indication system.
A tire is a temporary ring shaped covering that fits around the rim of a wheel of a vehicle. Tires are composed mainly of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric, high tensile steel wire along with other compound chemicals. A tire consists of a tread and a body, where the tread provides traction and the body provides support. Nowadays, tires are pneumatic inflatable structures including a doughnut shaped body of cords and wires encased in rubber to form an inflatable cushion. The main purpose of a tire is to provide traction between the vehicle and the road surface, reduce road shock for the vehicle and its occupants, and to protect the wheel rim. Tires are used on numerous types of vehicles including bicycles, motorbikes, cares, lorries, farm vehicles, earthmovers, plant machinery, and aircraft.
In agriculture, tires are used on farm vehicles usually tractors, trailers, specialist harvesters, and other types of machinery. Due to the size of these vehicles and the different types of terrain, these tires are much larger and wider than conventional car tires. These tires have very deep widely spaced lugs to allow the tire to grip soil easily. Where ground conditions are very poor and where soil compaction is a concern, wide, high floatation tires are used that have large footprints and low inflation pressures.
Agriculture vehicles often travel on public roads, particularly tractors with a trailer or another implement behind it. These vehicles are awkward and bulky on roads, especially on narrow roads in the countryside, which they use more often than larger roads, due to their proximity to agricultural farms. When other vehicles meet agricultural vehicles on these roads it is difficult to pass by.
This problem is more pronounced and significant at night when visibility on unlit public roads in the countryside is poor. When meeting large agricultural vehicles at night on these roads it is difficult to ascertain their width until in very close proximity which poses a traffic hazard. The reason for this is because the existing lighting arrangement on agricultural vehicles does not properly highlight their actual size and width. Agricultural vehicles with especially large tires and older agricultural vehicles with very poor lighting arrangements are even more dangerous.
Consequently, there exists a need for a tire design for agricultural vehicles that highlights actual size and width of these vehicles, which will allow them to travel more safely on public roads at nighttime.